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'Glimmer' of hope

WELLAND - Frank Campion said the Minister of Health and Long Term Care never knew about the report prepared by a team of Welland doctors two years ago.

She does now.

At a meeting last week, the Ward 2 city councillor and chair of the city's health care committee told Deb Matthews about the report, which included the concerns of physicians about the future of the local hospital if the hospital improvement plan is implemented here. And Campion said he feels a little more hopeful about health care in Niagara, after joining a delegation of Niagara mayors and regional chair Gary Burroughs who visited the minister of health, Tuesday.

Although in the past, the minister has rejected the idea of holding an independent review of the Niagara Health System and the Hospital Improvement Plan, Campion said he felt a "glimmer" of hope after the meeting that it could yet happen.

This time, she didn't reject the idea of the independent review requested by several Niagara municipal councils as well as regional council.

"One thing that she did say was that she was hoping to hear some real tangible information as to why we think it needs a review," he said.

Campion told her he had that tanglible information.

"I told her we had a tangible doctors report, outlying very specifically, some of those issues. She appeared not to be aware of (the report), which I guess is not surprising," Campion said. "But I made her aware of it."

He said Matthews asked for a copy of the 44-page document, first presented to the Niagara Health System in late 2009. The report included concerns about the impact it would have on other hospital services, if departments including pediatrics, obstetrics, inpatient mental health and others are removed. It also made recommendations for alternative that could cut costs while improving services.

Campion said copies of that report were sent to Matthews as well as Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, "so he'll be in a position to follow up as well."

"That was one of the positive things that came out of that meeting - she asked for certain information and we in fact, at least from Welland, have that information and are in a position to share it with her," he added.

A day after returning from the meeting in Queen's Park, Port Colborne Mayor Vance Badawey followed up the visit with a letter he sent the minister.

In it, he expressed concerns about the level of services offered at the Port Colborne hospital.

In particular, he was concerned about a lack of protocols in place to assist heart disease patients.

"As a matter of fact, staff are told at Port Colborne General Hospital to call 911 if anyone experiences cardiac challenges - simply unacceptable!" he wrote.

He raised several concerns in his letter, urging Matthews to conduct an independent review of hospital services.

"Minister, we feel encouraged that you will consider standing shoulder to shoulder with Niagara. We are, in fact, committed to working together to improve healthcare at the NHS," he wrote.

Campion said the ball is now in Matthews' court.

"I think we brought forward in a unified voice, at least from south Niagara," he said.

"And once Matthews reads the report by Welland physicians like surgeon Dr. Peter Willard and pediatrician Dr. Peter Bonsu, "I think we have a really strong case and I think she'll do the right thing."

For now, he said the city will press on with its efforts to preserve hospital services.

He said efforts are continuing to develop information pamphlets and distribute them throughout Welland, explaining the impact proposed changes will have on health care.

The city has also been working with Toronto law firm Aird & Berlis LLP, hoping to find legal remedies to concerns about changes at the hospital.

"We're not going to put the brakes on anything at the moment," he said.